


Car Rides After Practice

by GhostOfStarman



Category: Mother 2: Gyiyg no Gyakushuu | EarthBound, Mother 3
Genre: Claus being protective not creepy, High School AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:01:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24970480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostOfStarman/pseuds/GhostOfStarman
Summary: “So you’re Ness, huh.” I look up with a start at the sound of the teens voice, meeting his green eyes through the rear view mirror. He chuckles, the laughter not seeming to reach his fiery gaze.“You’re the guy Lucas talks about every second he gets.”
Relationships: Lucas (Mother 3)/Ness (Mother 2)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 22





	Car Rides After Practice

* * *

May is one of those bipolar months where the weather is either sunny and cool, or humid and just miserable because of how rainy it is. Onett doesn’t get much rainfall, but when it does, it rains like the sky itself had lost someone close to it.

My luck has been on a streak lately. The weather this week has been relatively nice, especially suitable towards our baseball practice schedule. So well, that the first thing we do after practice is hang out and goof around, forgetting our homework.

As always, someone always gets the short end of the stick. While everyone else gets to hang out and make plans after a hard day of practice, I’m stuck herding equipment back into the sports shed.

It’s not like I was complaining. Being the captain always has its responsibilities, and if this was what it took to be the best, good old Ness would never back down a challenge.

It didn’t make it any less tiring though.

“Having trouble?” A soft voice from behind me rouses me from my thoughts. I look up from the metal cage in hand and turn around.

Standing at the entrance of the room holding a sketch pad in one hand and a bag in the other is my best friend Lucas. He gives me a gentle smile, and moves closer, holding the bag out to me.

Upon further inspection I realize he’s holding my sports bag that I had forgotten near the bleachers. I take it from him, returning his smile.

“Nice timing, I was about done too.”

He tilts his head at my response, his gaze flickering around to the equipment carelessly strewn around the room before returning to me.

“Seems like it.” I force a laugh, tossing the backpack carelessly over my shoulder, and head back towards the exit and baseball field.

“Damn equipment. My bag’s full of it too.” I grunt as the weight of my stuff sinks into my aching shoulders. Lucas makes a soft sound of concern as I almost stumble over a loose piece of clay.

“I can carry it.” He offers, and I shake my head at his request.

“Nah, you brought it to me. Besides, I can stand to gain a bit more muscle.” I smirk at him, relishing in his scoff in response.

“Don’t you walk home?” He retorts, and my smirk only widens at the slight flush covering his ears.

“I take the bus,” I rummage through my pockets for my phone, and groan when I open it to see that I’ve missed the bus by a solid ten minutes. “Shit, guess I’m walking this time.”

Lucas shakes his head. “I’m calling my mom to pick us up.” He goes to pull out his phone, and I frown.

“Lucas, it’s fine-“ I’m interrupted at the sound of a phone dial. I roll my eyes but smile as Lucas completely ignores me in favor of calling his mom.

“Hi Mom. Yeah, we’re ready. Oh, Ness-“ I tune him out as I set my bags down. We’re standing under the bleachers, in front of the parking lot. I watch cars gradually pull out of the parking lot, until only a few cars remain.

There’s a beep, and Lucas is quiet. I hear him come up besides me, and we stand together under the bleachers.

“She’s coming in five.” I nod at his quiet confirmation, and take a moment to risk a glance at him.

It’s not subtle enough, and sure enough he’s arching an eyebrow at me.

“What is it?” I bite my lip, averting my eyes downwards.

“Nothing.”

“Oh come on now.” I hear him scoff, undeterred as he steps closer.

“What’s on your mind?”

This time I look up, and really look at him. He’s frowning at me, which is a very un-Lucas-like expression to see on his face. A miscellaneous strand of golden blond hair gleams between those ocean blue eyes, and I resist the urge to reach forward and sweep it to the side to look closer into those eyes.

“Ness?” His frown deepens when I don’t respond after a few moments.

“S-Sorry. Don’t worry about it.” I mumble as I tear my gaze away.

I really want to move that strand away from his face.

Silence is all that remains throughout the duration of the wait, unbroken, until a certain red vehicle pulls into the parking lot.

“That’s her.” I nod at him, and force a smile onto my face as the car nears us.

The driver’s window scrolls down, and the face of a smiling woman greets me.

“You must be Ness! Lucas has told me lots about you.” I turn to Lucas, who’s pleasantly flushed as he avoids my gaze, and has his arms crossed.

I resist the urge to laugh before turning back to his mother, who is frantically looking around the car. She looks at me before sighing.

“We didn’t have time to fully clean up and fix the car before you guys called.” She gives me an apologetic look. “Sorry.”

“Mom, you’ll be stuck fixing the car for years if you don’t just accept and buy a new one. This one’s pretty broken down.” Upon peering at the passenger seat besides her, I see a ginger haired version of Lucas, who is scrolling aimlessly on his phone.

With a click, his phone turns off and he makes eye contact with me, a smirk forming on his face. It was slightly creepy to see a very non-Lucas-like expression on a face that looked almost entirely like his.

“It’s like this car is her third child.” Hinawa rolls her eyes letting out a scoff.

“Oh hush, you.” She scolds, making both Lucas and I chuckle as we get into the car. I shut the door behind me as I slide into the seat next to Lucas. The car starts, and soon enough we pull out of our high school parking lot.

“So you’re Ness, huh.” I look up with a start at the sound of the teens voice, meeting his green eyes through the rear view mirror. He chuckles, the laughter not seeming to reach his fiery gaze. “You’re the guy Lucas talks about every second he gets.”

“Claus!” I laugh as Lucas whines, before focusing back at his brother, who is looking at me with a thoughtful expression on his face.

“Lucas never told me he had a brother.” I say, and he seems to snap out of it. He scoffs at that, seemingly good humored. His gaze flickers towards Lucas, who blinks back.

“What, you’re just gonna pretend I don’t exist, huh Lucas? That ashamed of being related to me?” He snarks, and I snicker at his sass. Lucas, who looks slightly disheartened as he looks out the window, has a frown on his face. He’s pouting, and I hide a flush as he glances at me before looking away.

The car ride back was full of conversation. Lucas and I strike up conversation, with Hinawa chipping in a few words several times. Although Claus stays silent, occasionally I feel his intense gaze on me.

I don’t look at him.

We pass by a few neighborhoods, and as the buildings grew more and more dense, I realize we were in the city.

“Ness, Claus and I were going to stop by the grocery store on the way home. Is this okay with you? It will be quick, just in and out for a few things.” I look up, giving Hinawa a smile through the rear view mirror.

“It’s okay, Mrs. Hinawa, I don’t mind.” She laughs, waving her hand dismissively.

“Oh please, call me ‘Mom’ or ‘Hinawa’. You’re practically part of our family now.” I blush as Lucas laughs. I feel him move closer, and I’m suddenly sweating bullets as his knee brushes against mine.

The car stops and I look up. We’re at the Onett drugstore. Lucas opens the door, and pulls me out of the car with him.

“If you’re hungry, Ness,” I turn as Hinawa calls out to me. Her door opens, and she gets out. “You can go to the burger store.”

“If I’ve learned anything from having a kid on sports teams,” her eyes glittered mischievously as she winked at me “is how huge their appetite gets after practice or a game.”

A scoff comes from Claus’ side of the car as his door closes, and we make eye contact.

“Wait- ‘a kid’?” I frown. “Claus, you play a sport?”

Next to me, Lucas giggles. Even though I dare not look at him, I feel him take my hand. I struggle not to blush as I squeeze lightly.

“Claus fences.” Lucas says, and I watch Claus’ intense gaze lock unto our interlocked hands. His gaze darkens, and I internally gulp as I look away.

“No way, dude.” I mutter, feeling his eyes on me. My eyes remained focused on my shoes, shuffling slightly as I kick a pebble around.

“Lucas, stop it,” I flinch as Claus’ voice sounds closer to where we were standing “it’s seriously not as cool as you think.”

I feel a shiver run up my back at his double meaning.

“It kind of is,” Lucas laughs. “Claus was awarded his own sword by his coach, I think that’s pretty cool.”

“You must be really good then.” I look back at Claus, who hasn’t shifted his gaze away from me.

It takes a second for him to comprehend what I had said, due to how intensely he’s looking at me. He smiles, and I feel a slight chill at the coolness of his grin.

“It’s nothing.” He shrugs, and gives me one last look before he turns away to follow his mom into the store.

I look at Lucas, who’s already looking at me. I’m immediately entranced by the sparkle in his eyes when he pulls me forward to the store, a gentle smile etched on his face.

He never lets go, and for once I allow that warm feeling in my chest push away the unsettled feeling in my stomach.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> 1/2, hope you enjoy.
> 
> Edit: 06-28-2020  
> Fixed the weird spacing.


End file.
